Emerging Microbes and Infections (Jan 2020)
COVID-19 in children across three Asian cosmopolitan regions
- Gilbert T. Chua,
- Xiaoli Xiong,
- Eun Hwa Choi,
- Mi Seon Han,
- Sung Hee Chang,
- Byoung Lo Jin,
- Eun Joo Lee,
- Baek Nam Kim,
- Min Kyoung Kim,
- Kihyun Doo,
- Ju Hee Seo,
- Yae Jean Kim,
- Yeo Jin Kim,
- Ji Young Park,
- Sun Bok Suh,
- Hyunju Lee,
- Eun Young Cho,
- Dong Hyun Kim,
- Jong Min Kim,
- Hye Young Kim,
- Su Eun Park,
- Joon Kee Lee,
- Dae Sun Jo,
- Seung Man Cho,
- Jae Hong Choi,
- Kyo Jin Jo,
- Young June Choe,
- Ki Hwan Kim,
- Shuiqing Chi,
- Shao-tao Tang,
- Huan Qin,
- Li Shan Zhou,
- Peng Chen,
- Joshua Sung Chih Wong,
- Kate Ching Ching Chan,
- Felix Yat Sun Yau,
- Shu Yan Lam,
- Calvin Chit Kwong Chow,
- Tak Wai Wong,
- Victor Chi-man Chan,
- Grace Wing Kit Poon,
- Chun Bong Chow,
- Wilfred H. S. Wong,
- Yu Lung Lau,
- Godfrey Chi Fung Chan,
- Celine S. L. Chui,
- Xue Li,
- Marco Hok Kung Ho,
- Ian C. K. Wong,
- Paul Kwong Hang Tam,
- Kelvin K. W. To,
- Jong Hyun Kim,
- Patrick Ip,
- Mike Yat Wah Kwan
Affiliations
- Gilbert T. Chua
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Xiaoli Xiong
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Eun Hwa Choi
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Mi Seon Han
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- Sung Hee Chang
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- Byoung Lo Jin
- Department of Pediatrics, Hongseong Medical Center, Hongseong, Korea
- Eun Joo Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Seongnam Citizens Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea
- Baek Nam Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Ansung Hospital, Ansung, Korea
- Min Kyoung Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Seonam Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Kihyun Doo
- Department of Pediatrics, Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Icheon Hospital, Icheon, Korea
- Ju Hee Seo
- Department of Pediatrics, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea
- Yae Jean Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Yeo Jin Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Masan Medical Center, Changwon, Korea
- Ji Young Park
- Department of Pediatrics, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Sun Bok Suh
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan Medical Center, Busan, Korea
- Hyunju Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
- Eun Young Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea
- Dong Hyun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea
- Jong Min Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Korea
- Hye Young Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea
- Su Eun Park
- Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Children’s Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
- Joon Kee Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
- Dae Sun Jo
- Department of Pediatrics, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Seung Man Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea
- Jae Hong Choi
- Department of Pediatrics, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, Korea
- Kyo Jin Jo
- Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Children’s Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
- Young June Choe
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- Ki Hwan Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon, Korea
- Shuiqing Chi
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Shao-tao Tang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Huan Qin
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Li Shan Zhou
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Peng Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Joshua Sung Chih Wong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Kate Ching Ching Chan
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Felix Yat Sun Yau
- Department of Paediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Shu Yan Lam
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Calvin Chit Kwong Chow
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Tak Wai Wong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Victor Chi-man Chan
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Pamela Youle Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Grace Wing Kit Poon
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Chun Bong Chow
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Wilfred H. S. Wong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Yu Lung Lau
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Godfrey Chi Fung Chan
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Celine S. L. Chui
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Xue Li
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Marco Hok Kung Ho
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Ian C. K. Wong
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Paul Kwong Hang Tam
- Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Kelvin K. W. To
- Department of Microbiology, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Jong Hyun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, St. Vincent’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
- Patrick Ip
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Mike Yat Wah Kwan
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2020.1846462
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9,
no. 1
pp. 2588 – 2596
Abstract
ABSTRACTAs another wave of COVID-19 outbreak has approached in July 2020, a larger scale COVID-19 pediatric Asian cohort summarizing the clinical observations is warranted. Children confirmed with COVID-19 infection from the Republic of Korea, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Wuhan, China, during their first waves of local outbreaks were included. Their clinical characteristics and the temporal sequences of the first waves of local paediatric outbreaks were compared. Four hundred and twenty three children with COVID-19 were analyzed. Wuhan had the earliest peak, followed by Korea and HKSAR. Compared with Korea and Wuhan, patients in HKSAR were significantly older (mean age: 12.9 vs. 10.8 vs. 6.6 years, p < 0.001, respectively) and had more imported cases (87.5% vs. 16.5% vs. 0%, p < 0.001, respectively). The imported cases were also older (13.4 vs. 7.6 years, p < 0.001). More cases in HKSAR were asymptomatic compared to Korea and Wuhan (45.5% vs. 22.0% vs. 20.9%, p < 0.001, respectively), and significantly more patients from Wuhan developed fever (40.6% vs. 29.7% vs. 21.6%, p=0.003, respectively). There were significantly less imported cases than domestic cases developing fever after adjusting for age and region of origin (p = 0.046). 5.4% to 10.8% of patients reported anosmia and ageusia. None developed pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PMIS-TS). In general, adolescents were more likely to be asymptomatic and less likely to develop fever, but required longer hospital stays. In conclusion, majority patients in this pediatric Asian cohort had a mild disease. None developed PIMS-TS. Their clinical characteristics were influenced by travel history and age.
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